1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information presentation apparatus, an information presentation method, an imaging apparatus, and a computer program which process image information captured, for example, by a digital video camera and a digital still camera. In particular, the present invention relates to an information presentation apparatus, an information presentation method, an imaging apparatus, and a computer program, which superimpose additional information on a captured image or a through-the-lens image.
More particularly, the present invention relates to an information presentation apparatus, an information presentation method, an imaging apparatus, and a computer program which present information, such as names of buildings and the surrounding spots contained in a captured image or a through-the-lens image. In particular, the present invention relates to an information presentation apparatus, an information presentation method, an imaging apparatus, and a computer program which present information, such as names of buildings and the surrounding spots contained in a captured image or a through-the-lens image for a user to easily and intuitively understand a sense of distance to a subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, digital cameras (including still cameras and video cameras) which digitize images captured by a solid-state imaging device, such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor), etc., have become widespread. By a digital camera, an image digitized and coded can be stored in a memory, and can be subjected to image processing and image management by a computer. Also, a digitized image has an advantage in that there is no problem as to a lifetime of a medium compared with a photograph taken by a silver-film camera using a related-art film or a photosensitive plate.
Many digital cameras are provided with a view finder having a relatively large screen, and can use the view finder for displaying a through-the-lens image and a menu screen, and can reproduce and output recorded images. Also, in the same manner as the other mobile devices, a digital camera has a processing ability of digital information, and thus can present various kinds of beneficial information to a user on the basis of data obtained by detection of output from an internal sensor or through an external interface.
For example, if information, such as names of buildings and the surrounding spots, is superimposed on a scenery image displayed on a finder as a captured image or a subject, it becomes possible to implement a function of navigation, and thus it is convenient. Recently, some product models of camera include a position sensor, such as a GPS (Global Positioning System), etc. Thus, it is possible for the camera to obtain necessary information in order to superimpose the surrounding spot information, such as a shooting position, shooting direction, an object position, and object information, etc.
For example, a proposal has been made of an information display apparatus enabling to see a name of the object in the vicinity of an object observed through a lens (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-211993).
Also, building data of each building included in a captured real image is obtained on the basis of a three-dimensional position of a camera. A proposal has been made of an information presentation apparatus for providing a real image showing a target building in an easily understandable manner by projecting an object to be enhanced and the other surrounding buildings with being overlapped in a display frame, eliminating hidden surfaces, and applying, on the real image, an enhancement filter increasing the brightness on pixels in an enhanced portion. (For example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-216977)
However, if a plurality of pieces of information is overlaid on a finder image, a character string may be overlapped, an object lies behind another front object, and thus it becomes difficult to see. Also, even if there is only one object (subject) to be presented, it is difficult to immediately understand a distance to the object, etc., from a current shooting position by viewing the captured image or the through-the-lens image, and thus a sense of distance obtained from the image is not intuitive.